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November 25, 2008

Colonial Williamsburg’s Good Neighbors get an early holiday gift this year. Throughout the holiday season – Nov. 28 – Jan. 2 – Good Neighbors receive $1 off all programs offered in the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum’s Hennage Auditorium.

Good Neighbor passes are available for Williamsburg area residents for only $10 a year and provide access to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, museums and exhibition sites. In addition, special seasonal discounts on programs and products are offered. Good Neighbor benefits are offered to:

Residents of the City of Williamsburg, James City Count, and the Bruton District of York County;

Employees of those local jurisdictions;

College of William and Mary students; and

College of William and Mary faculty, staff and their immediate families.

A wide variety of programs is offered this holiday season. The discounted price is listed.

Raise a Ruckus. Carson Hudson and his friends explore American folk music and the instruments that Americans have played over the last 400 years. Presented in conjunction with the “Cross Rhythms” exhibition, various folk instruments will be demonstrated with anecdotes and stories. 1:30 and 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 28 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Tickets are $5.

Holiday Memories. Experience one of the oldest forms of entertainment, a shadow puppet play filled with nostalgia and the wonder of the holiday season. Set in Victorian times, the story is brought to life by a storyteller and puppeteers with live sound effects. After the show, look behind the scenes to learn how the show was produced. This hour-long program for the whole family begins at 4:15 p.m. on Saturdays, Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and 13 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum. The program will also be held at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 29. Ticket price is $4.

Celtic Whispers and the Nativity. Join Ardie Boggs on the Celtic Harp, as she travels through the misty space of time, from Ireland to the Holy Land, tracing the Pagan conversion to Christianity. The concert begins at 4 p.m. on Mondays, Dec. 1 and 15 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $5.

Fiddling Away the Holidays. Master fiddler John Turner keeps a Colonial Williamsburg Christmas tradition by singing, playing and reveling in the lighter side of the holiday season. Included is the not-to-be-missed Twelve Days of Christmas as only John and his eclectic collection of whistles and instruments can provide. The hour-long program begins at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Dec. 2, 9 and 16. Ticket price is $6.

Seller of Songs. Stephen Christoff explores early American music both seasonal and year-round, telling the story of Americans and their struggle for freedom from the 18th century and beyond. Guests will experience both familiar and unfamiliar instruments: the musical saw, octave mandolin, comb and paper, hand-flute, Jew’s harp, spoons and hand-bone. The hour-long program begins at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Dec. 3, 10 and 17 the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $5.

Christmas Hymns You Thought You Knew. Join John ner and Michael Monaco in a festive beginning to the holiday season, as they take a fresh look at familiar carols and hymns from Christmases past. Sing familiar words and sometimes unfamiliar tunes accompanied by a variety of instruments including the harpsichord. The concert begins at 4 p.m. on Thursdays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Tickets are $5.

Profound Joy. Multi-instrumentalist Timothy Seaman celebrates the great wonder of the holiday season with early American, old European and new compositions from his recording of the same name. Winter, Christmas and Hanukkah themes are heard in the glowing drama of the extended-range hammer dulcimer and the awe-filled sounds of the low whistle, bamboo flute, mountain dulcimer and psaltery. This hour-long program is held at 4 p.m. on Fridays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $5.

Here We Come a Wassailing. Join Lee Welch and Barry Trott for traditional tunes and tales that celebrate winter and the spirit of the colonial holiday season. Customs and carols abound in good-humored and high-spirited music, sung and performed on a variety of stringed, wind and percussion instruments. The one-hour program begins at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $5.

A Grand Illumination Celebration. Timothy Seaman’s Virginia Sky joins The Three Jolly Coachmen for a stupendous serving of upbeat seasonal musical fare. Together they blend striking Celtic melodies on harp, whistles and hammered dulcimer with guitar, banjo, bass and singing in the lively tradition of The Kingston Trio. The unprecedented and colorful family event kicks off Grand Illumination at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Tickets are $9.

A String Band Christmas. The Runaway String Band plays a mix of holiday songs and instrumentals from the hills of Appalachia to the sidewalks of New York. String bands in the 1920s-30s played a wide variety of popular songs and tunes. The Runaway String Band continues the tradition of the Virginia string bands, presenting hot instrumentals, three and four-part harmonies and a selection of traditional holiday music and stories from the early 20th century. 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8 and Sunday, Dec. 28 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $7.

A Baroque Christmas. A student ensemble from the College of William and Mary performs Christmas and chamber works of Bach, Handel, Corelli, Vivaldi and others. The ensemble consists of Nick Fitzgerald on baroque violin, Rachael Blake on baroque flute, Jon Brvenik on cello and Alice Real on harpsichord. This hour-long concert begins at 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $6.

Christmas with the Colonial Singers. Enjoy a Christmas concert of songs, legends and the memories of the Christmas traditions in colonial America. The hour-long program begins at 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $6.

Charting the Holidays. Experience seasonal music from the days of Colonial America. Discover the origins of popular traditions as settlers arrived from the British Isles and Europe, bringing their music and customs to the Colonies. Join Lee Welch, Sarah Glosson and Barry Trott in this engaging holiday show at 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 22 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $7.

Artisan’s Celtic Wonderland. The trio Artisan—Ardie Boggs, Timothy Seaman and Anne Robinson—brings unique Celtic and seasonal music on two magnificent Celtic harps and virtuosic hammered dulcimers, flutes, whistles and psalteries. Delighting guests with the beautiful holiday sounds of joy and peace, this hour-long program begins at 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $8.

Colonial Music for Children. Through guessing games, sing-alongs and show-and-tell, musical historians David and Ginger Hildebrand draw children into the world of colonial music. Guests are exposed to instruments like the harpsichord, English and Spanish guitars, hammered dulcimer, German and English flutes and an African drum called the djembe. The program begins at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 26 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Tickets are $2.

Colonial and Traditional Music of the Christmas Season. A lively mixture of carols and old wassailing tunes with colonial songs and dance melodies all performed on appropriate period instruments. Musicians and music historians David and Ginger Hildebrand provide commentary between selections to set the scene and illuminate the cultural context of 18th-century music in America. 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 26 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $7.

An Acoustic Christmas. Beautiful instrumental arrangements of your favorite Christmas tunes performed on hammered dulcimer and classical guitar by the Miller Rowe Consort from South Carolina. The hour-long program begins at 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $9.

Christmas Music from the Jefferson Collection. Enjoy sonatas, ballads and songs from the musical collection of Thomas Jefferson sung and performed on violin, cello and guitar and narrated by Thomas Jefferson. Join Bill Barker, Lee Welch and Sarah Glosson for the music that Thomas Jefferson collected, played and enjoyed in his travels here and abroad. The hour-long program begins at 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Tickets are $9.

Hogmanay: Scottish New Year’s Celebration. Prepare for the beginning of 2009 with John Turner, Cliff Williams and David Gardner, three of Williamsburg’s most talented musicians, as they celebrate Hogmanay with songs and tunes from Scotland. The hour-long program begins at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum—Hennage Auditorium. Ticket price is $8.

Whoop and Holler. Musical historian and performer Carson Hudson explores the history of the Virginia banjo from the 18th century to today. Hear music played on reproduction banjos. This hour-long program begins at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 2. Ticket price is $4.

Benefits of the Good Neighbor Card also include:

Admission to all of Colonial Williamsburg exhibition sites and museums;

Use of Colonial Williamsburg’s bus service;

Seasonal shopping, dining and recreational opportunities;

A discount on purchases of tickets for evening programs;

A discount on up to 20 general admission tickets annually per household for your out-of-town guests; and

Membership is valid for one year from date of registration and annual renewal.

To obtain or renew Good Neighbor Cards, visit the official Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center (open year-round including holidays) or the Lumber House Ticket Office (open seasonally). Bring your valid Virginia driver’s license with a Williamsburg address and a current month’s utility bill as proof of occupancy of a local residence. Residents must prove occupancy not ownership or rental of their residence. Students who are in kindergarten through grade 12 who are residents of the City of Williamsburg, James City County and the Bruton District of York County and students of the College of William and Mary are exempt from the $10 fee. Student status can be verified through current student ID card, a class assignment letter, student progress report card, letter of curriculum approval for home-schooled students or other similar documentation. A current student ID card serves as a Good Neighbor Card for students at the College of William and Mary. Faculty and staff of the college must apply for a Good Neighbor Card. For more information, visit http://www.history.org/goodneighbor/#mission.

Established in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is the not-for-profit educational institution that preserves and operates the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia as a town-sized living history museum, telling the inspirational stories of our nation’s founding men and women. Within the restored and reconstructed buildings, historic interpreters, attired as colonial men and women from slaves to shopkeepers to soldiers, relate stories of colonial Virginia society and culture – stories of our journey to become Americans – while historic trades people research, demonstrate and preserve the 18th-century world of work and industry. As Colonial Williamsburg interprets life in the time of the American Revolution for its guests, it also invites them to interact with history. “Revolutionary City®” – a dramatic live street theater presentation, is a 2008 Rand McNally Best-of-the-Road™ Editor’s Pick. Williamsburg is located in Virginia’s Tidewater region, 20 minutes from Newport News, within an hour’s drive of Richmond and Norfolk, and 150 miles south of Washington, D.C., off Interstate 64. For more information about Colonial Williamsburg, call 1-800-HISTORY or visit Colonial Williamsburg’s Web site at www.history.org.